'You, The Passenger: Extended Edition' by Ellie Gowers
Review
If (like me) you greatly enjoyed Ellie Gowers' ‘You, The Passenger' EP which is about to celebrate its first birthday, then you'll be delighted to hear of the Extended Edition which has come out: presumably to mark the milestone.
I delight too in how busy she is: it's only three weeks since I reviewed ‘The One Thing That I Know' by her group The Magpies & here she is with a release and starting her national tour (it kicked off last evening in Guildford). I would draw your attention to the only local stop (in Kenilworth) but I strongly suspect that it's sold out.
The new edition is also her debut vinyl release (in red) though you can also access downloads via Bandcamp.
Whereas the original was recorded with TJ Allen at J&J Studios in Bristol, this time Ellie went into 300 Acre Studios with Matt Cotterill producing.
The original EP is pretty stunning and she certainly stands by it: what has happened since is that through the many live renditions with drummer Scarlett Churchill and bassist Joss Mann-Hazell, she's found new aspects to them and the exploration has taken her so far that she decided to commit the outcomes to posterity: thus Scarlett & Joss join her on live takes of "A Moment", "Testing the Water" and "Sorrow" and Ellie performs "I Can Be Right For You" by herself.
I can (and have plenty of times before) go on about the high quality of Ellie as a writer and a performer but maybe any emphasis on her as a musical philosopher has tended to zoom in on various individual songs: she is a deep songwriter and her compositions usually need study. Sometimes I have even got my analysis somewhere near her intentions. I haven't really gone into her broader visions but I think she articulates them herself most openly on this occasion.
Firstly is as I've just mentioned: she clearly sees a recorded version of a song as merely one step along her own path (but presumably that of her audience, albeit a step behind her) to understanding the potential meanings of each one. Isn't that more or less what Bob Dylan does too?
Secondly she comes out with the incredible five words "I only wrote the songs": what a thing to say: humble yes but also totally reflective of her understanding of the collaborative creative process.
I first heard her play them in a solo context but thankfully not only have I heard the recorded versions, but I've seen her play them live with her trio. I have to admit that conditioning must shape our perceptions: I've only seen her play her own material in this fashion once (and never yet with The Magpies) and in contrast goodness knows how many times I've caught her solo.
I need to adjust to this newer, more collaborative Ellie and I think to some extent she's doing something similar: you might see the Extended Edition both as evidence and celebration. It might also be a statement of vision and intent.
The four reimagined songs without a doubt take off into different territory: the exercise is artistically justified. But then of course we ask ourselves "which do I prefer"? I guess as a reviewer you look to me for a definitive response: but it's hard and anyway you might quite reasonably differ from me. Or I could try and wriggle out by saying both versions of each has its attractions.
Certainly "I Can Be Right For You" (which I did actually first hear in a solo version) does come across incredibly powerfully with less arrangement: in my heart I feel the new take edges even the original one… but that's just me.
The other three as a set do neatly evidence the many extra months of playing by the same team: no one has radically altered words or chords but much more subtle qualities have evolved. So much so that I got caught in a labyrinth of imagination trying to definitely pin down differences. Too much of that and false perceptions would have multiplied, but the assurance factor is probably increased. I'm certain this leads to the tendency towards & courage to linger longer over notes: space is embraced & enjoyed. Each moment (which is appropriate given the theme of the first track) is savoured to the full. They seem to love playing the songs and to love playing them together.
I'll come back too to what I've said before. Ellie Gowers is without question regarded as one of the great recent additions to the folk world & graces folk festivals. This however could be filed under "jazz" in your local record store. It's luxuriant.
To finish, I'll go back to Ellie's own words: specifically how she found the original recording to be "fun and cathartic". Perhaps only Ellie could combine the two concepts. I review cathartic music surprisingly often and by it's nature, the writer/performer often doesn't sound like the inspiration had been much fun. These songs, if cathartic don't really take the raw route, but in the melancholia which underpins the melodies & words, you can detect it, but with writers of this subtlety, it's a nuance and not abruptly thrust into your sensibility.
